Iowa’s $26 million contract to increase coronavirus testing was reached after the governor acted on a tip from actor Ashton Kutcher, a revelation that increased skepticism about the no-bid deal
on Thursday.
Kutcher asked whether she'd heard about TestUtah, a public-private partnership that had started coronavirus testing and “looked very promising,” the governor recalled. The companies will run the TestIowa website where residents take voluntary assessments to determine whether they qualify for testing and arrange appointments.
The actor said Qualtrics' idea was in line with one recommended by a company he has invested in, Radix Labs, which isn't part of Iowa's contract. His publicist said Kutcher is not an investor in any of the companies involved in Iowa’s deal. Reynolds launched a #TestIowaChallenge campaign on Twitter urging residents to complete the assessments, which ask for personal health and contact information. The governor challenged Kutcher, who recorded a promotional video. More than 80,000 people completed assessments in the first 24 hours.
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